Whew! Only *counts* three more posts to go!


*Chapter 28: Revelation*

Thee figure in front of Erst did not move. It also had a sword, one as thin and insubstantial as mist, yet somehow composed of the very essence of sharpness, a blade honed to such and edge that now it was nothing but edge. The figure held it at arm's length, ready to strike, but didn't make a move. When it spoke it was with a voice devoid of all life, empty and flat and toneless, like a sound that had been baked in a desert, flung into the cold depths of space, and spoken through a lead wall. "I cannot say." Erst stared at the figure, who was indistinct, at first glance it was simply a grey rabbit with nothing special to define them, but on closer examination the featurelessness was itself a feature, the entity in front of him was like a mask, or a painting, little more than a picture or costume to display to the world. He looked once more at the fighting going on around him, then back at his opponent. "You've lost one of your party, are you not going to help them?" Again, the dead voice. "No, it is not my fight; it is yours, and your companions. But you will raise your hand against me and we shall spar, everyone loves a good story." Erst turned away from the figure and headed towards Wit. "No. If you won't fight I've got to save my broth-"

It was like walking into a wall of burning ice. Erst froze where he stood as the air turned to treacle. And it hit his mind too, with the force of a sledgehammer. Erst found himself turning, not against his will, but his will itself shifting, making him raise his sword which now flashed with rainbow colors, then burst into flame, a cold fire that made it shine like a beacon. Struggling, Erst forced himself to face away again, pivoting around the sword that seemed nailed to the air. The figure, now behind him, grinned grimly. "Ah, yes, fighting it are we? Such is life, so short and all struggle. You can't possibly win, yet you try anyway, how strange."

Erst staggered forward against the massive force, each step seeming to take hours, his limbs seemingly made of lead. But if there was one thing Erst was, it was stubborn; he had spent his life stubbornly persevering no matter what, and simple sheer force wasn't about to change that. He struggled onward to where his brother was desperately trying to learn how to shoot a blaster.

Then the distance between them grew and the world went gold.

Erst stood in a beam of light, like those shown in paintings of haven, immersed in its golden glows, weightless and spinning gently. For a second everything was still. He could still see the outside world, just inches away, and yet somehow further than light could travel in a billion years. There was no sound and everything had a strange, muffled feel to it. Then came the voice.

It was wordless, purr thought; arriving directly in the brain. It flowed like a melody, burning through the brain, sparking with energy. It have a mental smile and wave, something not seen, but felt like someone pulling a face behind your back, but pleasant. Erst felt as if he was being watched, and he was a good judge of this in a world where people often stared at him for no particular reason. He felt a presence all around him, through him, intangible but somehow even more real than the vents outside this strange golden parcel of reality. The voice trilled inside his head, made of a billion fragments, devoid of any detail, like a waterfall, twisting and turning and whipping away to mist as it spoke, its words inscribing themselves on his mind.

You must turn and fight, it is the only way.

Erst didn't need to reply; whatever it was, somehow he knew it could simply pluck the thoughts from his mind. He wasn't going to fight the strange rabbit, his brother was in danger and needed his help, there were demons after him and they'd ruined a perfectly nice planet, just when he was getting settled too.

But this is their leader, your opponent! Defeat it and all will be well! You will be a hero, your companions will be saved, you'll get the girl, fame, recognition! Your life will be perfect!

Erst thought this over, it didn't take long. Who the heck was he talking to? His life was fine the way it was, at least, until a few hours ago when things started to go insane. People were dying and here was someone chatting about it as nonchalantly as if it were their favorite chapter in a book! He pivoted in nothing and demanded to know who or what he was talking to.

There was a laugh again, a tinkling like a thousand silver bells. Me? I...am. There was a pause as It thought this over. I am the one behind the words, I have no shape, no form, no name, no designation; when the universe became, I shunned the classes of mind. I am neither conscious or not, not demon, nor angel, nor mortal nor spirit. I shape the world. There was another pause, then a burst of the silvery laughter. Haha! Man, what a load of garbage huh? It's all true mind you, but doesn't it sound stupid? Remember, there is no spoon! Erst frowned. He had no idea what the being was talking about, but he was getting a general impression he didn't like, the voice talked down to him as if it were explaining things to an unusually stubborn child.

The air sparkled more brightly and each individual spark began to whirl together, melting, fusing and growing, like a golden galaxy gone nova. I suppose you want something better than gibberish hmmn? Very well. The sparks formed a bright pillar that dazzled the eyes, slowly cooling to a warm coppery glow. I love this form, I've used it often, mostly in visions of course, or when I've needed to nudge things along. As the glow faded Erst could make out someone standing next to him, a rabbit, about his height, but shining all over, like metal, but glowing from within. It was female, and exceedingly attractive, at least by rabbit standards, with a cheerful face, shoulder length hair and wearing a long flowing dress that seemed to float in the air and sparkle like diamond. The rabbit turned to him and spoke without opening her mouth. Like it? A bit flashy perhaps, but fun! At this the rabbit twirled, like a disco ball, sending thousands or shards of light whirling in all directions. If you want to address me in this form, you may call me Miss- no, no, just plain Coppertop will do. Now I expect you'll be wanting to save your friends now?

Erst gathered his wits, the rabbit was certainly impressive indeed. "But I'm still stuck, I can't get to Schrock." The rabbit shook her head. Silly! You can't reach your brother, the, it- well, you have no choice, don't you understand, this is the way it has to be, you fight the leader, you win, everyone lives happily ever after! And then Erst knew. Knowledge just appeared in his mind, as if it had always been there. He saw the thread, a knot of space-time that drew events into itself, made the universe repeat the same sequence over and over. It wasn't just a story, it made stories. And it had been guided here, prodded and pushed gently, slowly gaining energy, slowly bending the world to its will, sharing its energy with all who participated. Erst could see it flowing through the landscape, protecting, manipulating, driving its characters. And he was the hero, the full force of the thread pulsed through him, centered on the sword in his grasp. And there was no escape, if he fought it, the thread would break his arms, and he'd still have to fight. The rabbit gave him an appraising stare. Now you understand? Good. I have spent years setting this up, feeding it as it feeds me, now go fulfill your destiny, go and fight!

Erst turned and brought the sword across in a wide arc. Stories want ends, they don’t care what kind.


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